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About

Bennington College is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian college located in Bennington, Vermont. It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

At Bennington, learning and making are inseparable. The faculty are committed not just intellectually, but also as leading practitioners in their field. Students develop ideas in the classroom, and then test those ideas where it counts—through hands-on work in the world. The result is a learning experience free of artificial barriers where students imagine, shape, and pursue their best work.

Through a genuinely distinctive education, Bennington cultivates a mindset for change, a capacity to break new ground, the conditions for progress.

A Bennington Education

Graduate-style academic advising allows students to map a territory for study and practice that goes beyond the bounds of a traditional major and hones their ability to thrive in a world without givens, to tolerate ambiguity, and to find solutions even when a path is not laid out before them.

Bennington is the only college in the country to require an annual internship since its founding. For two months every winter, students work with an organization or institution of their choosing, anywhere in the world, to apply what they have learned on campus and to focus what they study and make at Bennington—engaging the field that interests them without waiting for graduation.

Bennington is a highly engaged community of active makers and practitioners. The faculty and administration are mentors and peers ready to engage with students’ work in addition to being subject matter experts. The Bennington community extends far beyond the campus, offering connections to alumni, colleagues, and employers around the world.

Small College / Big Impact

Bennington students graduate with a capacity to get it done, to put themselves out there, to find a novel solution. The proof is in the outsized impact our alumni have on the world’s stage.

Who goes to Bennington?

Bennington students ask questions, search for the unexpected, and thrive amidst creativity and ideas. With a diverse and international student body, the College has a broad world view because we bring the world to Bennington.

Just Being Here: Life on Campus

Bennington celebrates the ongoing making of work—shared on walls, in shows and performances, in lectures and readings, and in electric conversations—and believes that strong community is vital for a collaborative education.